What shall I do for my 40th?

[MaryBerrysFannyHammock]

Husband keeps asking, I can't decide.

No parties - I have nowhere near enough friends for a party ad it's too stressfull

I like travel, good food, history, stately homes and castles, camping, books, music, animals, walks, dancing, plants and cooking.

Budget is approx £1000

Needs to include kids as we have no childcare.

I feel like I should do something special (not sure why)

I would go somewhere without them all. Just alone. I love solo trips though.

Sounds like a weekend away is in order - that way you can hopefully cover lots of things on your ‘like to do ‘ list - lovely meal somewhere special , walk in the countryside, visit a farm or zoo - how about the Cotswolds or New Forest

Or Wales has lots of castles !

Not a spend it on my own kind of a person 😊 but great idea.

Cornwall trip including a trip to Eden project and a really posh hotel there with childcare?

Or stay in gleneagles?

Or stay at a safari park lodge with a room that you can see animals frim

Any recommendations? Cornwall would eat £150 of the budget in fuel alone for us.

I was also going to suggest a stay in a safari park https://www.aspinallfoundation.org/port-lympne/ has lovely lodges, and close to the sea as well.

If you can be flexible about the date (ie don’t mind it not being on your birthday itself) then a family friendly festival would tick a lot of your boxes

How about a lodge at Darwin Forest, near Matlock? There’s Scarthin Books in Cromford, Chatsworth House, Thornbridge Hall, Haddon Hall all nearby, endless beautiful walking routes both in & out of the Peak District National Park plus great facilities onsite for everybody too 😀

I like a forest holiday with bbq, hot tub and wood burner. Whitstable snd stay in a fisherman’s cottage. Cities will be expensive and money won’t go as far.

I went to London and saw a couple of shows!

A moored house boat in a city marina for something a bit different.

Look at Landmark Trust and National Trust for historic holiday lets for a long weekend . Go off season. Everyone gets souvenir wellies and cagoules or umbrellas for traditional rain walk. Don't cook. Go mad in M and S/ Aldi buying picnic goodies.